ews channels have certainly been in the news lately, be it for the number of channels that's growing (there are currently, 36 news channels in India) or the viewership base for news which has more than doubled within three years (TAM Media Research 2002- 2005 figures).

But how much of this popularity is due to the news anchors? Do anchors affect the ratings of a news channel? Though there are no figures to corroborate or establish that link directly, a good news anchor is definitely worth her - or his - weight in gold. So, what makes a good news anchor? Legendary names like Prannoy Roy (who can pull in viewers by just being there) apart, what makes an anchor click? ... more